{{Quote|Total control. I could make it jump out the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats...|[[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]] as [[Alastor Moody]] on a spider he had put under Imperius Curse|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}

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The'''Imperius Curse''' is one of the three [[Unforgivable Curses]]. Whencastsuccessfully, it placesthe victim completely under the caster's control, thoughapersonwithexceptionalstrength of williscapableofresistingit. Thismakes it unique among the unforgivable curses, as itistheonlyoneofthemwithaknown,reliable(dependingon the victim's will) method of resistance. The curse's incantation is ''Imperio''.

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{{Quote|Totalcontrol. Icouldmake it jumpout the window, drownitself,throwitselfdownone of yourthroats''[...]''|[[BartemiusCrouchJr.|BartyCrouchJr.]] as [[AlastorMoody]]onaspiderhehadputunderImperiusCurse|HarryPotterand the Goblet of Fire}}

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==Effects==

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The '''Imperius Curse''' (''Imperio'') is a tool of the [[Dark Arts]] and one of the three [[Unforgivable Curses]]. It is one of the most powerful and sinister spells known to [[wizardkind]]. When cast successfully, the curse places the victim completely under the caster's control, though a person with exceptional strength of will is capable of resisting it.

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{{Quote|It was the most wonderful feeling. Harry felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. He stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching him.|[[Harry Potter]] under the Imperius Curse|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}

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Unlike the other Unforgivables, being subjected to the Imperius Curse - when adequately cast - is not an unpleasant experience, in fact,quite the opposite; the victim of an Imperius Curse is placed in a calm, trance-like state in which all feeling of responsibility and anxiety is banished. However, when Harry was Imperiused, he believed that his curse maynothavebeenverystrong,thusthe sensation from casting a more powerful Imperius Curse may be more intense than the knownaccount.

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The fact that the curse canbedefendedagainstmakesituniqueamongst the UnforgivableCurses.

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[[File:Image82.jpg|thumb|Pius Thicknesse, placed under the Imperius Curse in July 1997.]]

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AnadequatelyImperiused being is placed under the caster's total control and may be directed to do anything the caster wishes, including crimes such as murder, political corruption, embezzlement, and so on. Also, whilst under the caster's control, the curse may also endow the victim with whatever skills that are required in order to complete the task at hand, such as increased strength or allowing them to cast spells far above their level. For example, an Imperiused [[Neville Longbottom]] was able to perform a series of "quite astonishing gymnastics" under the curse that he would not normally be capable of.<ref name="GOF">{{GOF}}</ref>

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==History ==

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IftheImperius Curse is performed poorly, then the victim would have their mind addled, an example being [[Muggle]] Junior Minister [[Herbert Chorley]]. It seems the damage is long-lasting, as Chorley was sent to [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]] to recuperate. This is likely due to the fact powerful, dark magic may leave irreversible biological damage, such as when [[George Weasley|George]] had his ear cursed off permanently.

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===Creation===

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The Imperius Curse was invented during the early Middle Ages by dark witches or wizards. The curse was created for the coercion and brainwashing of others into slavery.

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Resisting the Imperius Curse is possible, but requires great strength of will and character. [[Harry Potter]], [[Bartemius Crouch Sr.|Barty Crouch Sr.]] and [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]] each learned to resist the curse after being subjected to its effects, though the latter two took quite a long time before building the said resistance, and in Barty Sr.'s case, resistance against Voldemort's powerful curse has seemingly caused mental damage.<ref name="GOF"/> Resisting the Imperius Curse is similar to [[Occlumency]], which requires a great amount of willpower, though it is unknown if Occlumency would actually work against the curse.

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It is possible for someone who has been Imperiused to place others under the curse as well. For example, [[Madam Rosmerta]], who had been Imperiused by Draco Malfoy sometime during the [[1996–1997 school year]], was able to place [[Katie Bell]] under the Imperius Curse in an attempt to deliver a [[Opal necklace|cursed necklace]] to [[Albus Dumbledore]]. It is also possible that the Death Eater [[Yaxley]] used the Imperiused [[Pius Thicknesse]] to place other high-ranking members of the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] under the curse in order to facilitate the overthrow of [[Rufus Scrimgeour]].

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[[File:BogrodImperius.png|thumb|230px|The'mist'thrownwhen this curse is cast.]]

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===Legalstatus===

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Whena correctly cast Imperius curseisterminated-forwhateverreason-the victims become themselves again, as happened after the final defeat of Voldemort and the Death Eaters in the [[Battleof Hogwarts]],when all of the people across the countrywho had been Imperiused by him or his supporters were released from the spell. Also, any pain that the curse has negated by the pleasant sensation would return, along with any other pain that the victim suffered for the duration of the curse.

After the [[Wizards' Council]] was reformed into the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain kinds of magic. The Imperius Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be [[Dark Arts|dark magic]], and, along with the [[Cruciatus Curse|Cruciatus]] and [[Killing Curse|Killing]] curses, were declared "''unforgivable''" in [[1710s|1717]]. The use of any of these three curses on a fellow human being would result in a life sentence in [[Azkaban]], unless there is sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of another's Imperius Curse; this tends to be a factor that many Dark Wizards abuse and lie about when they were facing prison, particularly after the [[First Wizarding War]].

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===Creation===

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The Imperius Curse was invented during the early middle ages by dark witches or wizards. The curse was created for the coercion and brainwashing of others into slavery.

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===Legalstatus===

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Duringthe [[First Wizarding War]], when [[Bartemius Crouch Sr.|Barty Crouch Sr.]] was in charge of the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]], he fought violence with violence, and legalised the three Unforgivable Curses for [[Auror]]s against the [[Death Eaters]] in order to win the war. This was repealed once the war was over, as it was no longer necessary. It was also at that time that many Death Eaters, such as [[Lucius Malfoy]] and [[Walden Macnair]], claimed that they had served under [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] only because of the Imperius Curse. While their claims were accepted, the Ministry has gone as far as to assign several personnel to determine who is truly under the curse, and who is lying to escape punishment; however, they were not perfect in capturing deception, as Malfoy and Macnair, along with several others, still eluded justice.

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{{Quote|The Cruciatus, Imperius and Avada Kedavra Curses were not made "unforgivable" until 1717.|[[Albus Dumbledore]]|The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)}}

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After the [[Wizards' Council]] was reformed into the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]], tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain kinds of magic. The Imperius Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be [[Dark Arts|dark magic]], and, along with the [[Cruciatus Curse|Cruciatus]] and [[Killing Curse|Killing]] curses, were declared "unforgivable" in [[1710s|1717]]. The use of any of these three curses on a fellow human being would result in a life sentence in [[Azkaban]], unless there is sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of another's Imperius Curse;thistends to be a factor that many Dark Wizards abuse and lie about when they were facing prison, particularly after the [[First Wizarding War]].

During the [[First Wizarding War]], when [[Bartemius Crouch Sr.|Barty Crouch Sr.]] was in charge of the [[Department of Magical Law Enforcement]], he fought violence with violence, and legalised the three Unforgivable Curses for [[Auror]]s against the [[Death Eaters]] in order to win the war. This was repealed once the war was over, as it was no longer necessary. It was also at that time that many Death Eaters, such as [[Lucius Malfoy]] and [[Walden Macnair]], claimed that they had served under [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] only because of the Imperius Curse. While their claims were accepted, the Ministry has gone as far as to assign several personnel to determine who is truly under the curse, and who is lying to escape punishment; however, they were not perfect in capturing deception, as Malfoy and Macnair, along with several others, still eluded justice.

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In the [[1994–1995 school year]], [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]], under the [[Polyjuice Potion|disguise]] of [[Alastor Moody]], showed these three curses to his [[fourth year]] classes on [[Alastor Moody's spiders|spiders]] despite the Ministry's disapproval. Later, in fact, he claimed that he had permission to perform the Imperius Curse on students in order to teach them how to resist it.

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In the [[1994–1995 school year]], [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]], under the [[Polyjuice Potion|disguise]] of [[Alastor Moody]], showed these three curses to his [[fourth year]] classes on [[Alastor Moody's spiders|spiders]] despite the Ministry's disapproval. Later, in fact, he claimed that he had permission to perform the Imperius Curse on students in order to teach them how to resist it. The students under the curse were all completely under Crouch's command, and could not resist at the very least, performing physical feats that they would normally unable to; [[Harry Potter]] was the only one who managed to resist the curse completely, if at all.

When [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic|took over]] the Ministry, the three curses were once again legalised: this time every wizard and witch had the right to use them as they please. In fact, they were practiced in [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] as part of the curriculum in the [[Defence Against the Dark Arts|Dark Arts class]] under the tutelage of [[Professor]] [[Amycus Carrow]]. After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under [[Minister for Magic|Minister]] [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]], the three curses were once again forbidden, and many people under its influence felt like they were coming out of trances.

When [[Tom Riddle|Lord Voldemort]] [[Fall of the Ministry of Magic|took over]] the Ministry, the three curses were once again legalised: this time every wizard and witch had the right to use them as they please. In fact, they were practiced in [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]] as part of the curriculum in the [[Defence Against the Dark Arts|Dark Arts class]] under the tutelage of [[Professor]] [[Amycus Carrow]]. After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under [[Minister for Magic|Minister]] [[Kingsley Shacklebolt]], the three curses were once again forbidden, and many people under its influence felt like they were coming out of trances.

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===History of use===

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===History of use===

{{Quote|Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperius Curse. But here's the rub: how do we sort out the liars?|Barty Crouch Jr on the Imperius Curse's controversy.|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)}}

{{Quote|Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did You-Know-Who's bidding under the influence of the Imperius Curse. But here's the rub: how do we sort out the liars?|Barty Crouch Jr on the Imperius Curse's controversy.|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)}}

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[[File:Spider.jpg|thumb|right|230px|A [[spider]] under the Imperius Curse.]]

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[[File:Image82.jpg|thumb|240x240px|

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[[DeathEater]]s made use of the curse in both the [[First Wizarding War|First]] and [[Second Wizarding War]]s to force innocent people to do their bidding. For example, [[LuciusMalfoy]] used the Imperius Curse to force [[Broderick Bode]] and [[Sturgis Podmore]] to try to steal a [[Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy|prophecy]] from the [[Department of Mysteries]] in [[1996]]<refname="OTP">{{OOTP}}</ref>, and [[Yaxley]] placed the Imperius Curse on [[Pius Thicknesse]] as part of the plan to take over the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] in [[1997]]<ref name="DH">{{DH}}</ref>.

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[[PiusThicknesse]], placedunder the Imperius Curse in July 1997.]]

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[[Death Eater]]s made use of the curse in both the [[First Wizarding War|First]] and [[Second Wizarding War]]s to force innocent people to do their bidding. For example, [[Lucius Malfoy]] used the Imperius Curse to force [[Broderick Bode]] and [[Sturgis Podmore]] to try to steal a [[Sybill Trelawney's first prophecy|prophecy]] from the [[Department of Mysteries]] in [[1996]],<ref name="OTP">{{OOTP}}</ref> and [[Yaxley]] placed the Imperius Curse on [[Pius Thicknesse]] as part of the plan to take over the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] in [[1997]].<ref name="DH">{{DH}}</ref>In 1998 Harry Potter used the curse three times on two differnt indviduals in order for the Trio to break-in to [[Gringott|Gringott Wizardind Bank]] undetected.

Ironically, many Death Eaters, such as [[Lucius Malfoy]], avoided imprisonment in [[Azkaban]] after Voldemort's first defeat in [[1981]] by claiming that they had been under the Imperius Curse.<ref name="CS">{{COS}}</ref> As such, it became the Ministry's work to determine who was lying, even though many "victims" managed to deceive them.

Ironically, many Death Eaters, such as [[Lucius Malfoy]], avoided imprisonment in [[Azkaban]] after Voldemort's first defeat in [[1981]] by claiming that they had been under the Imperius Curse.<ref name="CS">{{COS}}</ref> As such, it became the Ministry's work to determine who was lying, even though many "victims" managed to deceive them.

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[[Harry Potter]] and [[Albus Dumbledore]] speculated that [[Merope Gaunt]] may have used the Imperius Curse on [[Tom Riddle Sr.]] to force him to marry her, although Dumbledore thought it more likely that she used a [[Love Potion]].

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==Nature==

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===Effects===

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{{Quote|It was the most wonderful feeling. Harry felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. He stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching him.|[[Harry Potter]] under the Imperius Curse|Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire}}

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====Otherknownuses====

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[[File:Viktor_Krum7.jpg|thumb|left|225px|[[VictorKrum]]under the influence of the curse]]

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*[[Herbert Chorley]], a [[Muggle]] Junior Minister, was the victim of a "poorly-performed Imperius Curse." The resulting symptoms included impersonation of a duck in public, which required him to be removed from society temporarily and transferred into [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries|St. Mungo's]].

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==KnownPractitioners==

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Unlikethe other Unforgivables, being subjected to the Imperius Curse — when adequately cast — is not an unpleasant experience, in fact, quite the opposite; the victim of an Imperius Curse is placed in a calm, trance-like state in which all feeling of responsibility and anxiety is banished (drawing parallels to the real-world phenomenon of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnosis hypnosis], which is also often portrayed in fiction — albeit inaccurately<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBusters_%282007_season%29#Episode_76_.E2.80.93_.22Voice_Flame_Extinguisher.22 Mythbusters, Episode 76: "Voice Flame Extinguisher"]</ref>— of being capable of placing someone under the complete control of another by placing them in a theta state). However, when Harry was Imperiused, he believed that his curse may not have been very strong, thus the sensation from casting a more powerful Imperius Curse may be more intense than the known account.

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{|class="wikitable" width="100%" border="1"

+

−

|-bgcolor="#cccccc"

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An adequately Imperiused being is placed under the caster's total control and may be directed to do anything the caster wishes, including crimes such as murder, political corruption, embezzlement, and even suicide (as exposited by [[Barty Crouch, Jr.]], disguised as [[Alastor Moody]] and teaching the unforgivable curses to a group of Fourth-Year students at Hogwarts that included [[Harry Potter]], where he explained "''I could make her jump out a window, drown herself, or even launch herself down one of your throats''"). Also, whilst under the caster's control, the curse may also endow the victim with whatever skills that are required in order to complete the task at hand, such as increased strength or allowing them to cast spells far above their level. For example, an Imperiused [[Neville Longbottom]] was able to perform a series of "''quite astonishing gymnastics''" under the curse that he would not normally be capable of.<ref name="GOF">{{GOF}}</ref>

It is possible for someone who has been Imperiused to place others under the curse as well. For example, [[Madam Rosmerta]], who had been Imperiused by Draco Malfoy sometime during the [[1996–1997 school year]], was able to place [[Katie Bell]] under the Imperius Curse in an attempt to deliver a [[Opal necklace|cursed necklace]] to [[Albus Dumbledore]]. It is also possible that the Death Eater [[Yaxley]] used the Imperiused [[Pius Thicknesse]] to place other high-ranking members of the [[British Ministry of Magic|Ministry of Magic]] under the curse in order to facilitate the overthrow of [[Rufus Scrimgeour]].

+

+

When a correctly cast Imperius curse is terminated — for whatever reason — the victims become themselves again, as happened after the final defeat of Voldemort and the Death Eaters in the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], when all of the people across the country who had been Imperiused by him or his supporters were released from the spell. Also, any pain that the curse has negated by the pleasant sensation would return, along with any other pain that the victim suffered for the duration of the curse.

+

+

===Dangers===

+

+

If the Imperius Curse is performed poorly, then the victim would have their mind addled, an example being [[Muggle]] Junior Minister [[Herbert Chorley]]. It seems the damage is long-lasting, as

+

+

Chorley was sent to [[St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries]] to recuperate and spent the rest of his life beleiving he was a duck. This is likely due to the fact powerful, dark magic may leave irreversible biological damage, such as when [[George Weasley|George]] had his ear cursed off permanently.

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===Resistance===

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+

Resisting the Imperius Curse is possible, but requires great strength of will and character. The fact that it can be resisted makes it unique amongst the [[Unforgivable Curses]] as it is the only curse that has a manner of defence. [[Harry Potter]], [[Bartemius Crouch Sr.|Barty Crouch Sr.]] and [[Bartemius Crouch Jr.|Barty Crouch Jr.]] each learned to resist the curse after being subjected to its effects, though the latter two took quite a long time before building the said resistance, and in Barty Sr.'s case, resistance against Voldemort's powerful curse has seemingly caused mental damage.<ref name="GOF" /> Resisting the Imperius Curse is similar to [[Occlumency]], which requires a great amount of willpower, though it is unknown if Occlumency would actually work against the curse.

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==Known practitioners and uses==

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{{Quote|Harry acted without thinking: Pointing his wand at [[Travers]], he muttered, "''Imperio!''" once more.|Harry using the curse on the Death Eater Travers|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}

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{| class="wikitable" border="1" width="100%"

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|- bgcolor="#cccccc"

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! align="center" width="20%" |Victim

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! align="center" width="20%" |Caster(s)

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! align="center" width="60%" |Notes

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|-

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|[http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Herbert_Chorley Herbert Chorley]

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|unknown

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|Victim of a poorly-performed Imperius Curse, spent the rest of his life in [http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/St_Mungo%27s_Hospital_for_Magical_Maladies_and_Injuries St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries] believing he was a duck.

|Forced to assist in the smuggling of a [[Opal necklace|cursed necklace]] and poisoned mead into [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], as well as to give notice on Dumbledore's departure.

|Forced to assist in the smuggling of a [[Opal necklace|cursed necklace]] and poisoned mead into [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry|Hogwarts]], as well as to give notice on Dumbledore's departure.

|-

|-

−

|[[Katie Bell]]<ref name="HBP"/>

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|[[Katie Bell]]<ref name="HBP"/>

|[[Madam Rosmerta]]

|[[Madam Rosmerta]]

|Forced to assist in the smuggling of a [[Opal necklace|cursed necklace]] into Hogwarts in a plot to kill [[Albus Dumbledore]].

|Forced to assist in the smuggling of a [[Opal necklace|cursed necklace]] into Hogwarts in a plot to kill [[Albus Dumbledore]].

|-

|-

−

|[[Pius Thicknesse]]<ref name="DH"/>

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|[[Pius Thicknesse]]<ref name="DH"/>

|[[Yaxley]]

|[[Yaxley]]

|Forced to act as puppet [[Minister for Magic]] at the behest of Voldemort in [[1997]]. Noted by Yaxley that the curse was placed with great effort, as Thicknesse resisted.

|Forced to act as puppet [[Minister for Magic]] at the behest of Voldemort in [[1997]]. Noted by Yaxley that the curse was placed with great effort, as Thicknesse resisted.

|-

|-

−

|[[Stanley Shunpike|Stan Shunpike]]<ref name="DH"/>

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|[[Stanley Shunpike|Stan Shunpike]]<ref name="DH"/>

|Unknown, possibly a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]]

|Unknown, possibly a [[Death Eaters|Death Eater]]

|Forced to serve the [[Death Eaters]], fought in the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]] in [[1997]].

|Forced to serve the [[Death Eaters]], fought in the [[Battle of the Seven Potters]] in [[1997]].

|-

|-

−

|[[Bogrod]]<ref name="DH"/>

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| colspan="1" rowspan="2" |[[Bogrod]]<ref name="DH"/>

−

|[[Harry Potter]]

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| colspan="1" rowspan="3"|[[Harry Potter]]

|Forced to allow [[Hermione Granger]], disguised as [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], into the [[Lestrange Vault]] at [[Gringotts Wizarding Bank|Gringotts]] in [[1998]].

|Forced to allow [[Hermione Granger]], disguised as [[Bellatrix Lestrange]], into the [[Lestrange Vault]] at [[Gringotts Wizarding Bank|Gringotts]] in [[1998]].

|-

|-

−

|[[Bogrod]]<ref name="DH"/>

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|[[Ron Weasley]]

|To replace the curse that the [[Thief's Downfall]] washed away.

|To replace the curse that the [[Thief's Downfall]] washed away.

|-

|-

−

|[[Travers]]<ref name="DH"/>

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|[[Travers]]<ref name="DH"/>

−

|[[Harry Potter]]

|Forced to act as an accomplice in the aforementioned [[Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank (1998)|bank heist]].

|Forced to act as an accomplice in the aforementioned [[Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank (1998)|bank heist]].

|-

|-

−

|[[Amycus Carrow]]<ref name="DH"/>

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|[[Amycus Carrow]]<ref name="DH"/>

|[[Minerva McGonagall]]

|[[Minerva McGonagall]]

|As a means to confine him in the [[Ravenclaw Tower|Ravenclaw Common Room]] in [[1998]].

|As a means to confine him in the [[Ravenclaw Tower|Ravenclaw Common Room]] in [[1998]].

File:Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - The Imperius Curse|The Imperius Curse

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</gallery>{{VideoFooter}}

==Etymology==

==Etymology==

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==Behind the scenes==

==Behind the scenes==

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*In the [[HarryPotterandthe Goblet of Fire (film)|film adaptation]] of ''[[HarryPotter and the Goblet of Fire]]'',theImperiuscurseappears to give the victim'seyesamilky,glazedappearancewhich is not mentioned in the books and would decrease thecurse'seffectiveness, sinceitwouldbe easily detectable. However, it's possible that this is a sign of a poorly or hastily performed curse, oronewhere the victim is actively resisting.

*Also in the samefilm,whenBartyCrouchJr. (disguised as Alastor Moody),putstheImperiusCurseon the spider,hedirects it movements with his wand, including having it float and hover in midair, as if a [[Levitation Charm]] was put on it.

*In the [[HarryPotterand the DeathlyHallows(film)|filmadaptation]]of''[[HarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallows]]'', the Imperiuscurseappearstobeamistthatthevictimsmellsandgetsunder thecaster's bidding.Italsoappearstoleavethevictiminaslightlyintoxicated, elatedstate.

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**the ImperiusCurseappears to give the victim'seyesamilky,glazedappearancewhichisnotmentionedin the booksandwoulddecreasethecurse'seffectiveness,sinceitwouldbeeasilydetectable.However,it's possiblethatthisisasignofapoorlyorhastilyperformed curse, or one where the victim is activelyresisting.

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*Alsointhefilmadaptation, when the Imperius cursewearsoffonBogrod, Ronreplacestheinitialcurse.

+

**whenBartyCrouchJr.(disguised as Alastor Moody), puts the Imperius Curseonthespider,he directs its movements with his wand, includinghavingitfloat and hover in midair, as if a [[Levitation Charm]] was put onit.

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*This spell does not appear to be illegal in the handheldversions of ''[[LEGOHarryPotter: Years 5-7]]'',asSeverusSnapeteachesittoHarry in place of the[[Occlumency]] [[Harry Potter and Severus Snape's private lessons|lessons]] from the book and film.

*In ''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]'',theincantationis said tobe ''Imperius'',asopposed to the proper incantation ''Imperio''. It is unknown why this is.

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*In the [[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2|part2filmadaptation]]of ''[[HarryPotterand the DeathlyHallows]]'':

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**the Imperius Curse appears to be a mist that the victim smells and gets under the caster's bidding. It also appears to leave the victim in a slightly intoxicated, elated state.

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**the incantation is said to be ''Imperius'', as opposed to the proper incantation ''Imperio''. It is unknown why this is.

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**when the Imperius Curse wears off on Bogrod, Ron replaces the initial curse.

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*This spell does not appear to be illegal in the handheld versions of ''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]'', as Severus Snape teaches it to Harry in place of the [[Occlumency]] [[Harry Potter and Severus Snape's private lessons|lessons]] from the book, film and game; furthermore also in the place of [[Focus]], taught by Snape in the PC and console versions of the said game.

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*The Imperius Curse was originally planned to appear in ''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]''. It would have been cast with an orange light (rather than the yellow light used when the spell appeared in ''Years 5-7'') and occupied the slot in the spell wheel used for pets by non-Dark wizards. In the final game, the [[Killing Curse]] is placed in that slot for Dark Wizards instead.<ref>[http://tcrf.net/LEGO_Harry_Potter:_Years_1-4_(Windows) ''LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4'' (Windows)] on [http://tcrf.net/The_Cutting_Room_Floor The Cutting Room Floor]</ref>

==Appearances==

==Appearances==

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Line 153:

*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]''

*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2]]''

*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)]]''

*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)]]''

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*''[[The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)|The Tales of Beedle the Bard]]'' {{Mention}}

*''[[Harry Potter: Spells]]''

*''[[Harry Potter: Spells]]''

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*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4]]'' {{C|Cut from final version}}

*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]''

*''[[LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7]]''

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*''[[Pottermore]]''

==Notes and references==

==Notes and references==

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[[pl:Imperius]]

[[pl:Imperius]]

[[Category:Curses]]

[[Category:Curses]]

−

[[Category:Dark Magic]]

−

[[Category:Unforgivable Curses]]

[[Category:Dark Magic]]

[[Category:Dark Magic]]

[[Category:Unforgivable Curses]]

[[Category:Unforgivable Curses]]

Latest revision as of 18:55, January 16, 2015

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The Imperius Curse (Imperio) is a tool of the Dark Arts and one of the three Unforgivable Curses. It is one of the most powerful and sinister spells known to wizardkind. When cast successfully, the curse places the victim completely under the caster's control, though a person with exceptional strength of will is capable of resisting it.

The fact that the curse can be defended against makes it unique amongst the Unforgivable Curses.

After the Wizards' Council was reformed into the Ministry of Magic, tighter restrictions were placed on the use of certain kinds of magic. The Imperius Curse was deemed by the Ministry to be dark magic, and, along with the Cruciatus and Killing curses, were declared "unforgivable" in 1717. The use of any of these three curses on a fellow human being would result in a life sentence in Azkaban, unless there is sufficient evidence that the caster did so under the influence of another's Imperius Curse; this tends to be a factor that many Dark Wizards abuse and lie about when they were facing prison, particularly after the First Wizarding War.

During the First Wizarding War, when Barty Crouch Sr. was in charge of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he fought violence with violence, and legalised the three Unforgivable Curses for Aurors against the Death Eaters in order to win the war. This was repealed once the war was over, as it was no longer necessary. It was also at that time that many Death Eaters, such as Lucius Malfoy and Walden Macnair, claimed that they had served under Lord Voldemort only because of the Imperius Curse. While their claims were accepted, the Ministry has gone as far as to assign several personnel to determine who is truly under the curse, and who is lying to escape punishment; however, they were not perfect in capturing deception, as Malfoy and Macnair, along with several others, still eluded justice.

In the 1994–1995 school year, Barty Crouch Jr., under the disguise of Alastor Moody, showed these three curses to his fourth year classes on spiders despite the Ministry's disapproval. Later, in fact, he claimed that he had permission to perform the Imperius Curse on students in order to teach them how to resist it. The students under the curse were all completely under Crouch's command, and could not resist at the very least, performing physical feats that they would normally unable to; Harry Potter was the only one who managed to resist the curse completely, if at all.

When Lord Voldemorttook over the Ministry, the three curses were once again legalised: this time every wizard and witch had the right to use them as they please. In fact, they were practiced in Hogwarts as part of the curriculum in the Dark Arts class under the tutelage of ProfessorAmycus Carrow. After Voldemort's death and the revolutionising of the Ministry under MinisterKingsley Shacklebolt, the three curses were once again forbidden, and many people under its influence felt like they were coming out of trances.

Ironically, many Death Eaters, such as Lucius Malfoy, avoided imprisonment in Azkaban after Voldemort's first defeat in 1981 by claiming that they had been under the Imperius Curse.[3] As such, it became the Ministry's work to determine who was lying, even though many "victims" managed to deceive them.

"It was the most wonderful feeling. Harry felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. He stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching him."

Unlike the other Unforgivables, being subjected to the Imperius Curse — when adequately cast — is not an unpleasant experience, in fact, quite the opposite; the victim of an Imperius Curse is placed in a calm, trance-like state in which all feeling of responsibility and anxiety is banished (drawing parallels to the real-world phenomenon of hypnosis, which is also often portrayed in fiction — albeit inaccurately[4]— of being capable of placing someone under the complete control of another by placing them in a theta state). However, when Harry was Imperiused, he believed that his curse may not have been very strong, thus the sensation from casting a more powerful Imperius Curse may be more intense than the known account.

An adequately Imperiused being is placed under the caster's total control and may be directed to do anything the caster wishes, including crimes such as murder, political corruption, embezzlement, and even suicide (as exposited by Barty Crouch, Jr., disguised as Alastor Moody and teaching the unforgivable curses to a group of Fourth-Year students at Hogwarts that included Harry Potter, where he explained "I could make her jump out a window, drown herself, or even launch herself down one of your throats"). Also, whilst under the caster's control, the curse may also endow the victim with whatever skills that are required in order to complete the task at hand, such as increased strength or allowing them to cast spells far above their level. For example, an Imperiused Neville Longbottom was able to perform a series of "quite astonishing gymnastics" under the curse that he would not normally be capable of.[5]

When a correctly cast Imperius curse is terminated — for whatever reason — the victims become themselves again, as happened after the final defeat of Voldemort and the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts, when all of the people across the country who had been Imperiused by him or his supporters were released from the spell. Also, any pain that the curse has negated by the pleasant sensation would return, along with any other pain that the victim suffered for the duration of the curse.

Resisting the Imperius Curse is possible, but requires great strength of will and character. The fact that it can be resisted makes it unique amongst the Unforgivable Curses as it is the only curse that has a manner of defence. Harry Potter, Barty Crouch Sr. and Barty Crouch Jr. each learned to resist the curse after being subjected to its effects, though the latter two took quite a long time before building the said resistance, and in Barty Sr.'s case, resistance against Voldemort's powerful curse has seemingly caused mental damage.[5] Resisting the Imperius Curse is similar to Occlumency, which requires a great amount of willpower, though it is unknown if Occlumency would actually work against the curse.

the Imperius Curse appears to give the victim's eyes a milky, glazed appearance which is not mentioned in the books and would decrease the curse's effectiveness, since it would be easily detectable. However, it's possible that this is a sign of a poorly or hastily performed curse, or one where the victim is actively resisting.

when Barty Crouch Jr. (disguised as Alastor Moody), puts the Imperius Curse on the spider, he directs its movements with his wand, including having it float and hover in midair, as if a Levitation Charm was put on it.

the three spiders used was replaced with one special kind of spider, an Amblypygi.

the Imperius Curse appears to be a mist that the victim smells and gets under the caster's bidding. It also appears to leave the victim in a slightly intoxicated, elated state.

the incantation is said to be Imperius, as opposed to the proper incantation Imperio. It is unknown why this is.

when the Imperius Curse wears off on Bogrod, Ron replaces the initial curse.

This spell does not appear to be illegal in the handheld versions of LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7, as Severus Snape teaches it to Harry in place of the Occlumencylessons from the book, film and game; furthermore also in the place of Focus, taught by Snape in the PC and console versions of the said game.

The Imperius Curse was originally planned to appear in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4. It would have been cast with an orange light (rather than the yellow light used when the spell appeared in Years 5-7) and occupied the slot in the spell wheel used for pets by non-Dark wizards. In the final game, the Killing Curse is placed in that slot for Dark Wizards instead.[7]